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LeVar Burton makes a 'Reading Rainbow' plea

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeVar Burton's campaign to bring "Reading Rainbow" to the online masses is off to an impressive start.

The effort to raise $1 million by July 2 received donations totaling nearly $900,000 within 10 hours of its launch Thursday on Kickstarter, according to the fundraising website.

Burton was the host of "Reading Rainbow," the children's literacy series that aired on public TV through 2009.

Contributors can claim rewards ranging from autographed memorabilia to a private dinner with Burton to a chance to put on the visor the actor wore on "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

A "Reading Rainbow" app for tablets was released in 2012. The Kickstarter campaign is intended to pay for an online version available to more children, including those at needy schools, said Mark Wolfe, Burton's business partner.

ODESSA, Texas (AP) — A West Texas man has been charged with impersonating an officer by using sirens and flashing lights to skip to the head of the drive-thru line at a fast-food restaurant. Full Story